The Hamburglar was McDonald’s promotional character portrayed as a hamburger thief wearing a striped outfit and mask. He was part of the McDonaldland cast used in television commercials and other brand materials.
The character’s central gag was simple: he wanted to steal hamburgers, especially Big Macs, while Ronald McDonald and the other characters tried to stop or outsmart him. This made him a recurring source of playful conflict in family-oriented advertising.
The Hamburglar’s appearance changed over time. Early versions looked more like a small, older criminal, while later redesigns presented him as a younger, friendlier character. The costume remained the key visual clue linking the different versions.
He is sometimes confused with the villainous Captain Crook, another McDonaldland figure. Captain Crook was associated with Filet-O-Fish sandwiches, whereas the Hamburglar’s defining obsession was hamburgers.